This month marks the one-year anniversary of President Biden's announcement of historic nursing home reforms. Creating a minimum staffing standard, which would be the most significant increase in protections for nursing home residents in decades, was central to his plan. In this episode, we are sharing the audio from Consumer Voice’s webinar earlier this month that launched our “Dignity for All: Staffing Standards Now!” campaign. Through this campaign, Consumer Voice is advocating for a minimum staffing standard in nursing homes. In this episode you will hear about the importance of adequate s ..read more

Intimacy and sexual expression are basic human rights and are needed throughout our lifespan. Aging does not mean a loss of sexual intimacy, but when an older adult is cognitively impaired, it can be difficult to determine if they are engaged in a healthy sexual relationship. The right to freedom of sexual expression among these populations has proven a sensitive and sometimes controversial topic, particularly when cognitive capacity is in question. By federal law, individuals residing in long-term care are afforded multiple rights, many of which are relevant to sexuality, such as privacy, con ..read more

Recent CMS data shows that only 46% of nursing home residents are up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations. That percentage is even lower for nursing home staff, 23.1%. COVID-19 cases and deaths are rising across the country, while at the same time seasonal influenza and RSV cases are also causing hospital beds to be full. This podcast features Dr. Celine Gounder who discusses the importance of nursing home residents and staff being up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations. Dr. Gounder addresses questions about the efficacy of boosters and also how frequently nursing home residents and sta ..read more

As the result of changing CMS and CDC guidance since the start of the pandemic, residents and families have had a great deal of uncertainty during the holidays surrounding visitation and the requirements for residents who leave their facilities. Jerry Rothkoff, of Rothkoff Law Group, joins us to talk about where visitation is now, almost three years into the pandemic, and how everyone can spend time safely together this holiday season ..read more

Too often, caregivers are ill-equipped to address the needs of persons living with dementia, especially those related to behavioral health. In this episode we are sharing with you a presentation held at the 2020 Consumer Voice Virtual Conference. Listen as we explore strategies, effective treatments, and support for residents and families who often need help understanding their rights and how to get good care. The speakers of this presentation are Kelly Bagby of AARP Foundation and Sue Renz, Practice Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. To view the slides me ..read more

Every resident in long-term care is entitled to quality, individualized care. But what does quality care look like? What are the warning signs of poor care? What red flags should you be looking for in a facility? And what can you do when you see them? Join us for a conversation with Eden Ruiz-Lopez, Assistant Deputy Director at the National Center on Elder Abuse, as we discuss putting a stop to poor care and how to advocate for the quality care guaranteed to all residents under federal and state law ..read more

In this episode we are sharing with you a discussion that was held on Facebook Live around residents' rights in nursing homes. Lori Smetanka, Consumer Voice’s Executive Director, and Jocelyn Bogdan, Program and Policy Specialist at Consumer Voice talk about what impact COVID-19 has had on residents and their exercising of rights, they also provided an overview of residents' rights that exist in federal law. To view the materials mentioned in this presentation visit theconsumervoice.org/pursingquality ..read more

Everyone who enters a long-term care facility deserves quality, person-centered care. Too many residents, however, are being given off-label antipsychotic drugs to control challenging behaviors or for caregiver convenience. When used this way, these drugs are chemical restraints. In this discussion with Kelly Bagby of AARP Foundation Litigation we’ll talk about why the off-label use of antipsychotic drugs is a problem, your rights around medications and caregiving, and what to do if you think your loved one is being chemically restrained ..read more

In recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD), this webinar from the National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center (NORC) discussed how to identify and respond to signs of trauma and potential abuse or neglect and support residents as Ombudsman programs resume in-person visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Laura Mosqueda, a national and international expert on elder abuse and neglect, provided tips for Ombudsman programs conducting in-person visits, such as signs of trauma in response to isolation and loss during the pandemic and potential signs of abuse and neglect. She al ..read more

On March 13, 2021, it will be one year since the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued an order preventing everyone but essential healthcare workers from entering facilities. To date, despite some loosening of visitation restrictions, tens of thousands of residents have still not seen their families and loved ones in person. Chronic short-staffing of nursing homes that plagued facilities before the pandemic has gotten worse, with almost 1 in 5 facilities reporting staff shortages in aides. As a result, the lockdown has resulted in many residents suffering from isolation and ..read more